The Riverhawks women’s basketball team lost 59-50 on Tuesday night to the College of Southern Maryland Hawks. 

With this loss, the Riverhawks fall to 6-14 and the Hawks improve to 4-6.

Fans were invited to wear Hawiian themed outfits for a “Hula Hoops Hawaiian Night” event hosted by the Athletic Department. Supporters were seen wearing Hawaiian shirts in the bleachers and many wore leis.

“I love coming out to support the girls,” Sarah Ward, a second-year teacher education student, said.

First-year emergency services student, Kaitlin Kenney, a goalkeeper for the Riverhawks women’s soccer squad, said, “I feel like the school spirit is really here.”

The Riverhawks went up 10-0 to start the game. Riverhawks women’s head basketball coach Lionel Makell said the team got off to a quick start.

“We came out … [strong], then we relaxed on defense, gave them a lead and just never recovered,” Makell said. “We just stopped playing defense. We got … [relaxed]. We got up, [then] we got complacent and that’s when they made a run.”

The Hawks outscored the Riverhawks 33-25 in the second half. Hawks women’s head basketball coach Ernest Chambers Jr. said the squad switched gameplans on defense to beat the Riverhawks.

“We [played] man-to-man defense,” Chambers Jr. said. “We switched it up because they’re a really great outside shooting team. So if they get open looks, they’re going to make them. … They’re not as good off the dribble. So being able to disrupt them off the dribble really helped us.”

Riverhawks guard Isabella Papaleonti shot 3 of 4 from three, scored 14 points, had six rebounds and one steal. Guard Leila Townsend contributed 14 points, four steals and one block. Brandy Middleton finished with 11 points, two assists, one block and six rebounds. 

Hawks forward Tayloni Ricks said it “felt good to move up in the standings.”

“The season started real rocky for us,” Ricks, a first-year information systems student, said. “But I think we’re figuring [it] out as a team.” 

Papaleonti, a second-year transfer studies student, said the team lost momentum.

“We started not [making] shots, and that was a big thing especially in the second quarter,” Papaleonti said. “We just could not make a shot.”

Middleton, a second-year public health science student, said she was frustrated at the referees for “bad officiating.” 

“I applaud us for keeping up with the horrible calls and all the mess,” Middleton noted. “But I think we did really well.” 

The Riverhawks will face the Howard Community College Dragons Saturday at 1 p.m. The College of Southern Maryland Hawks will play the Montgomery College Raptors Friday at 5:30 p.m.